A Montana whiskey brand has added a new bourbon to its lineup, and the story behind it starts with three brothers, a campfire and a lot of time spent in the woods.
Ghostwood Whiskey, a Montana brand that has already picked up some serious hardware, has announced Ghostwood 3 Brothers Bourbon. It is a six-year-old, three-grain, high-rye bourbon. The idea for it came from founder Lucas Perks' memories of spending nights outdoors around the fire with his two brothers.
A Bourbon Born Around the Campfire
Ask Lucas Perks what he remembers most about time with his brothers, and he doesn't point to anything fancy. It's the quiet stuff. It's heading out into the trees, sitting by a fire and swapping ghost stories.
"Some of my favorite memories with my brothers are the simple ones: getting away into the woods, sitting around a fire, telling ghost stories, and enjoying being together among the trees," said Perks, the founder of Ghostwood Whiskey. "That is the spirit behind 3 Brothers Bourbon. We wanted to make an unpretentious, authentic, and approachable American bourbon meant to be opened, shared, and enjoyed with the people who matter to you."
That feeling runs through the whole project. The name nods to the three brothers whose adventures helped inspire the Ghostwood brand in the first place. The timing is also fitting, since the release lines up with all three brothers coming together to join the family business.
What Is in the Bottle
The details of how the bourbon is made are what whiskey fans tend to look at first, so here they are.
Image credit: Ghostwood Whiskey
3 Brothers Bourbon is distilled in Indiana. It uses a traditional three-grain mash bill, which is the recipe of grains that gets turned into whiskey. In this case, that recipe is 60 percent corn, 36 percent rye and 4 percent malted barley.
Corn is the backbone of any bourbon, and 60 percent is a healthy share. The 36 percent rye is the part that stands out. It puts this bourbon in what many drinkers call the "high-rye" camp, which usually means a little more bite and spice than a bourbon built mostly on corn and wheat. The small slice of malted barley rounds things out.
After distilling, the whiskey was aged for six years in new American oak barrels with a No. 4 char. That is a heavy char level, and it is the kind of thing that tends to bring out deeper flavors from the wood. The bourbon was then bottled at 80 proof by Ghostwood Distilling Co. in Columbia, Illinois.
Why It Has No Wheat
There is a neat bit of brand history tucked into the grain list.
3 Brothers Bourbon is a return to the roots of the Ghostwood story. It highlights three of the original four grains that formed the foundation of the brand's flagship whiskey. The fourth grain, wheat, was the last one to join Ghostwood's whiskey-making journey. It eventually helped shape the brand's first signature expression.
So this bourbon is made without wheat. In a way, that makes it a look back at where it all began. It shows what the early days of the brand looked like, and it ties back to the family story that helped shape Ghostwood.
The Spice Behind the Higher Rye
Lucas Perks serves as Ghostwood's master blender, and he was the one who chose the higher rye mash bill. His goal was to bring the brand's signature touch of spice and character into the bourbon.
The result, according to the company, is a whiskey that is rich, balanced and approachable, with what it calls an unmistakably American bourbon profile.
How It Looks, Smells and Tastes
Here is how the company describes the bourbon in the glass.
Color and Aroma
The bourbon is dark amber in color. On the nose, it opens with heavy aromas of caramel, creamy vanilla, cocoa, chocolate and roasted nuts. It is the kind of sweet, toasty scent that many bourbon drinkers look for.
Taste and Finish
On the palate, caramel and vanilla take the lead. There is added complexity from hints of cocoa, dark chocolate and subtle smoke. The finish is warm, dry and, in the company's words, uniquely smooth.
A Clear Bottle for a New Look
Ghostwood fans know the brand for its black-glass bottles. This one breaks from that. 3 Brothers Bourbon comes in a traditional clear bottle, which sets it apart from the rest of the black-glass portfolio.
It is not a total departure, though. The bottle keeps the familiar Ghostwood label design and the distinctive cork topper, so it still looks like part of the family.
Where It Fits in the Ghostwood Lineup
3 Brothers Bourbon is the fourth whiskey in Ghostwood's core portfolio. It joins three others: Ghostwood Original Blended Bourbon, Ghostwood Barrel Proof Black and Ghostwood Chardonnay Cask.
The company says the new bourbon gives it a chance to introduce Ghostwood to more whiskey drinkers. Lachlan Perks put it this way.
"3 Brothers Bourbon gives us an opportunity to introduce Ghostwood Whiskey to more whiskey drinkers while staying true to what the brand is about: family, craftsmanship, adventure, and whiskey worth sharing," said Lachlan Perks. "It brings a rye-forward character to the portfolio in a bourbon that is equally at home around a campfire, shared among friends, or simply poured at the end of the day."
A Brand With Awards Behind It
Ghostwood is no newcomer when it comes to praise. The brand's Original Blended Bourbon won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in both 2023 and 2024. That is a notable result for a young Montana brand, and it gives some context for the attention the new release is likely to get.
The Story Behind Ghostwood
To understand 3 Brothers Bourbon, it helps to know where Ghostwood came from.
The brand is built on a handful of values: craftsmanship, heritage, family and the timeless stories people share around a fire. Lucas Perks, who is both founder and master blender, found his inspiration on camping trips. Those nights around the campfire sparked a fascination with the stories, legends and mysteries that sit just beyond the glow of the fire.
That curiosity is what Ghostwood tries to capture. The brand describes its collection of American whiskeys as a way of bringing that spirit of exploration to the table, created to be opened, shared and enjoyed together. Its tagline sums it up: Go Beyond the Firelight.
More Than a Product Launch
On paper, 3 Brothers Bourbon is a six-year-old, high-rye bourbon with a 60-36-4 grain recipe. Look a little closer, and it reads more like a family scrapbook. It honors three brothers, marks the moment they all joined the family business, and circles back to the early days of a brand that started with a few camping trips.
For anyone who likes a good origin story, that may be the most interesting part. The bourbon is meant to feel unfussy and easy to share, the kind of thing a person might pour at the end of the day, with a fire going and family nearby.
More information about the brand is available at ghostwoodwhiskey.com.
